Out With a Bang
by Yesm777
Summary: "'It's just a bomb, Mike.' Harvey replied, walking quickly from the desk. Mike looked at him with saucer-like eyes, clearly hoping it was a joke. 'So, we're going to run like hell. Go, go, go'" Mostly Harvey protectiveness and whumpage. Not a slash.
1. Deal With It

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Suits, as everyone probably knows._**

_Author's Note: So...I haven't done a Suits fanfic before, so I thought I'd try it. I'm a whump writer and I have chosen Harvey for my new whumpee. Hopefully you guys enjoy it! Let me know what you think. I always get a little nervous when I write my first story for a new fandom._

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**1. Deal With It**

"Why are we seeing this guy again?" Mike sighed as tried to keep up with Harvey's stride. Somehow, the man could walk quickly and look more dignified than royalty. Mike only looked like a rumpled kid with a frantic need for speed. Maybe he'd get better with practice.

"I think he's going to try and settle. I'd like to hear what he has to say." Harvey replied. He was calm with a small smile on his face, but Mike could tell he was irritated. Harvey didn't say it, but he was tired of this whole case and he just wanted to win it and forget it.

"He paid his witnesses and we have evidence of it; we can totally win this case. Why do we have to bother with him again?" Mike whined, trotting a few steps to catch up to Harvey.

"He may offer us a good deal. Just because you don't like him isn't a good enough reason to pass up a prime possibility."

"Well, of course I don't like him. He's nothing short of a loudmouthed jackass."

"Mainly because he was staring at your lovely office gal pal like she was a piece of meat."

"Exactly. Wait—what?"

Harvey smirked without even looking at Mike.

"You can't let your personal feelings get in the way of a case, Mike. Sometimes you just have to deal with it." he advised, slowing as he came to a door. He looked at Mike firmly and placed a hand on the door handle.

"Today, you just have to deal with it."

Mike glared in response. Somewhere in his computer of a brain he knew Harvey was right. But his heart fought against the idea completely.

Harvey pushed the door open and stepped inside, instantly cautious. There was no secretary at the front desk. In fact, there didn't seem to be much activity at all. It was quiet. Very, very quiet.

"Mike, do you hear that?" he whispered.

"Hear what?"

Harvey scanned the room with his dark eyes, puzzled by such an unusual silence.

"Exactly."

He could practically feel Mike stiffen behind him. Something was off. No office should be _this_ absent of activity. There wasn't a single sound, not even the occasional rustle of papers or tap of computer keys. The initial impression was that no one was here. He must investigate.

"Harvey, what're you doing?" Mike hissed, standing uncomfortably by the door as his mentor took a few steps inside. "What if something bad happens?" Mike glanced over his shoulder, suddenly frightened by the odd situation.

"Well, then that's just our luck, since I didn't wear my bulletproof vest today." Harvey sighed, slowly making his way to the secretary's desk while keeping a wary eye out. Mike stood straighter by the door, his eyes widening slightly.

"You have a bulletproof vest?"

Harvey rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"No, Mike. Of course I don't have a bulletproof vest. How often do you think I get shot?" he replied, a snarky tone weaving through his voice. Mike was quiet for a minute.

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

Harvey stopped and looked at Mike over his shoulder. His associate shrugged, looking as innocent as the kid could look. Harvey tried his best to hold back a smile as he turned back to his investigating.

"Of course, you couldn't possibly have a vest without the rest of the suit to go with it." Mike thought aloud. Harvey shot him a look, instantly silencing Mike.

"There is nothing wrong with three-piece suits. At least I don't look like I slept in mine."

Mike fidgeted where he stood, obviously irritated by the reply. Harvey was trying to ignore him as he peered around the secretary's desk carefully, but he couldn't block out his associate's voice.

"Well, I can't help that I actually _live_. I bike to work. I don't have a personal driver like you. On top of that, I have to do research for you and all that so I don't have time to just whip out an iron and smooth out all the wrinkles. What am I—"

"Mike, shut up."

Mike stopped talking, startled by the sound of Harvey's voice. It didn't sound angry, it sounded…serious.

"What is it?" he asked, almost afraid of what Harvey found. Sure, Harvey sounded serious quite a bit, but this was a different kind of serious. This was the kind that hinted at a complication. Something was wrong and Mike didn't know what to do.

"It's, uh…" Harvey mumbled, his eyes glued to the area behind the desk. His heart pounded. Maybe he wasn't as good with numbers as Mike was, but he didn't have to be a genius to figure out what he was looking at.

0:10

0:09

0:08

"It's just a bomb, Mike." Harvey replied, walking quickly from the desk. Mike looked at him with saucer-like eyes, clearly hoping it was a joke. "So, we're going to run like hell. Go, go, go!"

Harvey pushed Mike out the door, trying to get the suddenly immobile associate out of the office. He was counting down in his head, his heart pounding louder with each second.

"Move your legs! Come on!" Harvey shouted frantically. He wasn't leaving Mike behind, no matter how much the kid annoyed him. Even now, as Mike had suddenly lost the urge to move.

He shoved with everything he had, trying to alert Mike to the urgency of the situation. The numbers kept going down. Harvey knew they wouldn't get out in time.

0:02

0:01

They were only in the hall now, but time had run out. Harvey had to take another course of action. He tackled Mike to the ground, blanketing his body over his associate in a frantic attempt to protect him. Time was out, it was over and there was nothing they could do.

0:00

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_Author's Note: Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope you enjoyed it! Please review if you can, I'd really appreciate it._


	2. Secrets and Baby Steps

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Suits.**_

_Author's Note: Oki doke. Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it! Please review if you can._

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**2. Secrets and Baby Steps**

It was oddly silent.

Harvey could feel the debris flying, the very world around him turned into bullets of various sizes. The blast shook the floor beneath and crumbled building materials rained from above. But his eardrums hadn't registered the explosion yet.

Then the noise cut in.

Everything felt a million times worse as the angry roar of a bomb assaulted him. All he could think about was how they could possibly come out of this whole thing alive. If anything else, Mike better survive. He didn't throw himself over the kid for nothing.

And just as they had come together, his senses went numb. The screams of the blast were drowned by a steady ringing in his ears and his feeling seemed muffled as the tremors of their surroundings were almost soft and rocking. Maybe he was in shock. He couldn't tell.

Harvey tried to focus on Mike beneath him. The associate was still and hardly moving. There wasn't even a hint of rigid fear or a shiver of panic. There was absolutely nothing. Out of everything, that was probably the most terrifying aspect. Mike Ross had better not be dead.

It took a while for Harvey to realize that everything had finally gone still. During the whole ordeal, it seemed like an eternity, but now that he looked back, it was really only a matter of seconds. He lifted his head a little to take a look around. Nothing was recognizable.

"Mike? Mike, can you hear me?"

Harvey kept his eyes on the mess around him, trying to determine whether or not it was safe to move. Beams had collapsed, walls had crumbled and the clean, pristine hallway had been turned into the next obstacle course. Hell, the whole place looked like a tough hike out.

Harvey rolled off his associate, groaning as the situation sunk deeper and deeper into his skull. This was bad. This was really, really bad. His body was still numb and his associate wasn't conscious. At least, he didn't think he was. Harvey knew he was supposed to be moving; trying to get out. But he needed a moment. Just a short, extremely brief moment.

And that's just about when the senses came back.

"Damn." he groaned, suddenly assaulted by the real damage of the bomb. He could feel the bruises and gashes across his back, but he wasn't quite sure how bad it was just yet. His side throbbed painfully, feeling wet and cold. Harvey carefully ran his hand across his side, hissing as his fingers brushed across damaged flesh. He already knew he was bleeding. His hand found its way into his vision, showing him the extent of the damage.

That was more blood than he thought it'd be.

His vision seemed to go hazy at the sight of it, his head aching with the realization that he was broken. Maybe it wasn't too bad. Harvey lifted his head from the debris, his chin pressing against his collar bone.

"Well, damn." he sighed, dropping his head back to the floor. No, it wasn't too bad. It was worse. And seeing how things were looking, he had to get Mike out of there pretty quick.

Harvey pulled his suit jacket over the red, preparing for the upcoming battle. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes tightly, squeezing his fists together. With a mix between a grunt and a cry, he managed to push himself into a sitting position. His aches certainly felt worse vertically than horizontally, but this wasn't the time for wimp-like behavior. He now knew Mike was prone to panicking and he could almost hear his associate's screams that they were both going to die. Not if Harvey could help it. It was better that Mike didn't know. Harvey took another breath, coughing as his lungs caught the descending dust.

"Mike." he croaked, leaning over his associate. "Mike, you have to wake up. We have to get out of here." There was no response. Harvey leaned in further, grimacing against the pain, and examined the kid with a careful eye. As he stared at the marble floor, his thoughts clicked together: Mike must've hit his head when Harvey tackled him.

"Great." Harvey muttered. "Just great."

He shifted his body until he was kneeling over the kid, his hands gripping each of Mike's shoulders.

"Mike, wake up." he prodded, shaking the associate gently. "Get up, or I'm leaving you a nice, tall stack of work on your desk when we get out." He waited, suddenly worried that he'd knocked the kid into a coma. What if he had? How far could he drag Mike before…? Not that it would happen. Harvey Specter wouldn't…die. It was absurd to even think about. But, say he did have a limited amount of time…could he get Mike out? It was the least he could do if he had actually sent his associate into a coma.

Mike groaned, shifting where he lay as he furrowed his brow. Harvey stiffened and watched him carefully, relieved when the kid actually opened his eyes. Harvey had to keep himself from sighing in relief.

"What happened…?" Mike groaned, blinking rapidly as he thought for a moment. Instantly, he shot up, almost hitting his head against Harvey's.

"There was a bomb. Harvey, there was a bomb." he blurted, slapping a hand to his head with another groan.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that." Harvey stated calmly, trying to get a better look at Mike's skull. "How's your head?" Mike grimaced as he pressed his palm against his forehead.

"It hurts…a lot. Did I get hit in the head or something?" he whispered, staring at Harvey through squinted eyes. Harvey smirked.

"Something like that."

Mike's eyes scanned his companion, just as Harvey pulled his jacket further towards his center. Mike hardly seemed to notice.

"You okay?" Mike asked, rubbing his head like he would a genie lamp.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Harvey replied, trying his best to look nonchalant about the whole thing. "You think a bomb's going to bring me down?" Mike looked at him, incredulous.

"Well, if that isn't then I don't know what will."

Harvey smiled.

"Exactly. I'm invincible."

Harvey was starting to feel a little dizzy and he was certain that he was taking on a suspicious pallor. Still Mike didn't notice. Mike only shook his head with a sigh.

"Whatever you say." he grumbled. Harvey pushed himself to his feet, fighting back a hiss and a grimace. Immediately, he grabbed a hold of something that looked even a little sturdy, intent on appearing balanced and healthy.

"Yes, and I say we need to get out of here. This place is now deemed a death trap." he announced, looking over the ruins with his usual proud, powerful demeanor.

"No argument here." Mike mumbled, getting to his feet to stand beside his mentor. He teetered dangerously, his blow to the head affecting his ability to remain upright. Harvey caught him just as he was about to fall completely.

"Thanks." Mike huffed, trying harder to retain his balance. Harvey was pulling at his jacket again, clenching his teeth like his life depended on it.

"If you need help, just ask." Harvey growled, unsure if he was lashing out because of the pain or because he was intent on appearing cold and selfish. To be honest, he was worried. He was worried he wouldn't be able to get Mike out; he was worried that his injury was much worse than he originally thought.

He was worried Mike would have to go the rest of the way by himself.

Harvey just wanted to be sure Mike would be safe.

"If you feel dizzy or anything, then tell me." Harvey ordered, watching Mike closely. The associate nodded, his hand still glued to his head. There was a moment of uncomfortable quiet as the two attempted to pull themselves together.

"If it's any consolation, you look terrible." Mike muttered. Harvey stiffened, wondering what Mike saw, then realizing the kid didn't suspect a thing. He was merely commenting on his disheveled appearance.

"At least I still have my vest." Harvey replied curtly, readjusting his jacket.

"Unfortunately."

There was a beat of silence.

"Excuse me?"

Mike looked at him innocently, his giant eyes resembling that of a deer.

"Hm? Nothing."

Harvey gave him a look and then gestured for him to move along.

"Get going. I'll stay behind you to make sure you don't pass out or something." he grumbled, waiting for Mike to shuffle forward before he rubbed his arms for extra heat. He was starting to feel a slight chill and it was disconcerting.

Mike was testing each step in front of him, each creak startling him while he gazed suspiciously at the ceiling. Harvey couldn't help smirking, finding something almost endearing in Mike's jerky movements. He was really starting to feel dizzy and weak, putting his best effort into a single step and trying his best to keep his eyes open. They had barely started their trek out of the worst of the mess and he was already fading. He could feel it.

He just needed a little more time.

"Are you sure you don't want to lead the way?" Mike called back, jumping back as a piece of wood dropped in front of him. Harvey chuckled weakly, leaning against whatever was left of the wall.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily." he huffed. Mike spun around and gave him a frightened look.

"What do you mean, 'getting rid of'?" he demanded. Harvey laughed at the look on the kid's face, but it was a quiet and breathy snicker at best. Mike expression changed from horror to worry, taking a second look at his mentor.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look paler than usual." Mike noticed, edging towards Harvey carefully.

"I'm fine." Harvey insisted, waving Mike away. "It's probably the bad lighting. Come on, get going." Mike stopped, examining his companion with suspicion. Harvey stood straighter and stronger, determined to get Mike off his back. Mike gave him another onceover.

"Alright, if you say so." he muttered, turning back towards the broken path. Harvey let out a silent sigh, bending over in an attempt to relieve some of the pain. He followed closely behind Mike, clinging to anything that would support his weight. He wasn't doing well, but at least they were further away from unstable ground.

Mike tripped in front of him, crying out as he began to fall forward. Harvey practically jumped to catch the kid, gripping the back of Mike's collar with a firm hold. But the catch had pulled his injury in just the wrong way, ripping open a fresh, rage of pain as it bolted through his system. He suddenly couldn't breathe right and standing had become increasingly difficult. His vision flashed white, his muscles tightened and sweat began to coat his skin with a terrifying speed.

"Thanks, Harvey." Mike mumbled shakily, steadying his feet again. But, his mentor's hand was still gripped tightly on his collar, hardly giving any sign to loosening. "Harvey?"

He looked over his shoulder, suddenly startled by his mentor's appearance.

Harvey's face was completely drained of color, lines of pain vivid around his mouth and eyes. He looked like he was trying his best to hold back a scream. Without warning, Harvey collapsed to his knees, his left hand gripped tightly to his right side.

"Harvey, what's wrong?" Mike inquired frantically, kneeling down to inspect his mentor more thoroughly. His eyes caught on Harvey's hand hidden by the suit jacket. With a gulp and a breath, he peeled back the jacket, his hand shaking against the expensive material. Mike froze. There was blood. Lots and lots of blood.

"Harvey, what is this?" Mike yelled. He was terrified. Harvey Specter didn't fall. He didn't even falter. This wasn't supposed to happen.

"It's just a scratch." Harvey whispered, breathing heavily as he bent over his injury. Mike could hear the blood pounding in his ears. How long had Harvey been hiding this? What else was he hiding?

Harvey winced as Mike placed a steady hand on his mentor's shoulder, gently pushing Harvey forward as Mike searched for more injuries.

Harvey's back was covered in them. Mike was hit with a sudden realization.

"You…protected me."

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_Author's Note: Well, snap. I hope that was enjoyable for you guys. Please review!_


	3. I'll Give You the Shirt Off My Back

**_Disclaimer: I don't own suits._**

_Author's Note: Phew, another chapter out. I hope it's entertaining and goes in a direction you guys desire. I am really very flattered by all the reviews and story alerts I've gotten for this story. I really appreciate the kind words. Thanks you. Well, here is another chapter for you all._

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**3. I'll Give You the Shirt Off My Back**

Harvey looked up at his associate, his dark eyes filled with a desperate determination.

"Mike you have to get out of here." he wheezed, still overcome with a fiery, sharp pain. Mike looked more angry than scared, practically drilling his stare into Harvey's own.

"No, I am not leaving you here alone." he growled, never taking his eyes off Harvey's. "We'll just wait together until someone finds us." Harvey shook his head, closing his eyes as he attempted to control his breathing.

"We can't be sure if it's stable here. I don't want to risk it." he huffed. "You'll just have to go alone." Mike looked enraged by the idea.

"So, you throw yourself over me to protect me, get a massive chunk out of your side and then expect me to just walk away like nothing happened." he ranted, his eyebrows raised in a silent challenge.

"I do not have a chunk out of my side." Harvey corrected, still holding some kind of power in his wheezy voice. "Plus, I didn't throw myself over you for nothing and, yes, I do expect you to walk out of here."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"Don't think I'm getting soft just because I made sure you didn't die. You _are_ going to walk out of here."

"Not without you, I'm not."

"Sometimes you just have to deal with it!"

Harvey gasped and squeezed his eyes shut, the sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Hell, this feels worse than appendicitis." he croaked. Mike's heart beat heavily in his chest, his worry pumping through his blood like adrenaline: quick and strong.

"You should try and rest." he advised, hovering his hands over his mentor. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't just sit by and watch.

"What do you think this is?" Harvey muttered. He bent further into his injury, his breaths shaky and pained. Mike had never seen Harvey this way; he couldn't even imagine it. The very person defined by power and invincibility was crumbling before him.

"Maybe you should just stop talking. It doesn't seem to be helping."

Harvey gave him a look, as if trying to pretend he wasn't in anguish.

"You're just using that as an excuse to shut me up." he rasped. His face kept getting paler and paler with each second, almost reaching the point of stark white.

"Don't get smart with me, Harvey. This is serious." Mike snarled, finally placing his hands on his mentor's shoulders with a renewed determination. "At least get off your knees and lean against the wall so I can get a better look at it." Harvey was silent, merely staring down at the floor. He didn't even twitch; he simply stared.

"Come on, quit stalling and let me have a look." Mike urged, getting anxious by his companion's lack of response.

"Mike, I…I can't." Harvey wheezed, pulling his eyebrows up into a new state of agony. Mike's breath caught in his chest, his lungs too stunned by his mentor's confession. "It…It hurts too much."

Mike tried to suck in some oxygen, but the air seemed thick and sludgy. Harvey Specter just wasn't supposed to fall like this. He was supposed to be the one still standing. Harvey was supposed to be the one that pulled his associate up by the shirt collar when he fell. He was always supposed to _be there_. Out of everything, this scared Mike the most.

"Harvey, you need to let me see it." Mike mumbled quietly, his voice cracking unexpectedly. "Let's try and get you against the wall."

Mike attempted to push Harvey towards the wall, using a firm but gentle hand. Harvey wouldn't budge, taking deep breaths as he eased up from his heavy leaning.

"Just give me a minute." he sighed, sucking in as much clean air as he could. Mike waited, but his stomach swirled with anxiety. Every second he waited could be a second too long and he was terrified that Harvey would…die. Yeah, the man could be a real jackass sometimes, but he wasn't all bad. Maybe he was tough, but he wasn't heartless. Harvey had always taken care of him, even though his approach to helping was giving vague advice and then stepping back. More than once, Mike felt abandoned or neglected by Harvey. In reality, Harvey never actually left him alone. He just helped when it was absolutely imperative. Like that one time when Mike had been caught rifling through files by the building's security…Harvey _did_ come to rescue him, even though Mike was certain he wouldn't. It was those little things that made up the Harvey that Mike understood and respected. So, he couldn't die. Mike needed him around for the next time he was caught in the throes of espionage.

"Are you ready?" Mike urged, getting nervous by the pallor of Harvey's skin. Harvey took a long breath through his nose, looking up at his associate with a silent whine in his eyes.

"Yeah, let's get this over with." he croaked, gently pulling up from his hunched position as Mike helped him lean against the partly intact wall. Mike could see that Harvey was clenching his teeth against the pain and easily felt the tension in his mentor's muscles. For some reason, it was upsetting to know that Harvey was just as mortal as the rest of them.

"How are you feeling?" Mike inquired, terrified of the answer. To be honest, he didn't want to know how Harvey was feeling. He was attempting to avoid the worst case scenario as much as he could and Harvey's answer could possibly shatter any optimism.

"I'm…I'm fine." Harvey wheezed, giving his associate a weak smile, dampened by an ominous shadow. Mike scowled.

"Don't give me that. A second ago, you could barely even move. If that's fine, then I worship Louis Litt." Mike spat, slowly pulling away Harvey's jacket and cringing at the weight of blood in the fabric. He inspected the dark stain in silence, listening intently to Harvey's strained breathing. Mike wanted to cry in frustration. This wasn't fair. This just wasn't fair.

"Don't worry about me, kid." Harvey sighed. "Just get out of here."

Mike started unbuttoning Harvey's vest, his fingers shaking against each button.

"I thought we both agreed that you didn't care about me." Mike chuckled, trying his best to lighten to mood. Harvey returned the laugh, but only with a wheezy snicker and a cough.

"I _don't_ care. You're just too smart to waste."

Mike could hardly blink against the tears, focusing completely on the buttons. The damn, stubborn buttons. Harvey was starting to talk like this was the end. But this couldn't be it. Mike had so much to learn; Harvey had so much to teach. Mike wanted to sit with an old, gray Harvey, sipping scotch or whatever the hell they drink when closers retire and talk about the old days. _These _days. Harvey had to be there for that. He just _had_ to be there. Mike was counting on it.

He finally managed to unbutton Harvey's vest, carefully unsticking the fabric from the wound. Both the jacket and the vest had been torn, but Mike couldn't see anything clearly. Especially not with all the blood and a couple layers of fabric to hide it. But, now, Mike couldn't stop staring at the white shirt. Harvey's right side wasn't white anymore. It was red.

"What's the diagnosis, doc?"

Mike looked up at his mentor, his blue eyes wide with frantic thoughts and images. Harvey didn't like it.

"Uh…well, it…it, uh…it looks bad." Mike stuttered, suddenly trying to think of what to do. He knew it was in his library of information, but he could hardly snatch a clear thought or recall a single number.

"Mike."

He just needed to find a single answer, but there was too much information. His mind was a spinning heap of facts, numbers and words.

"Mike."

He could barely chase after a single idea, working with all the brain power he had.

"Mike!" Harvey shouted, cringing as pain rioted through his body. He could tell the kid was having something like an intellectual breakdown. "Mike, just calm down." His associate slouched, trying to relax as much as possible. He took deep breaths, letting the spinning pot of data settle in his skull.

"Pressure. Bandage." he blurted suddenly, almost startling Harvey.

"Well, look at you learning how to think under pressure." Harvey mumbled, smirking beneath the gray and exhaustion. Mike smiled at his small victory, stripping down to his undershirt and immediately ripping apart his white, collared shirt. Well, it was mostly white…at some point.

Harvey watched the kid with a worried interest. He could tell Mike was more than a little upset by all this, making him feel uncomfortable for some reason. Maybe it was guilt, but he'd forgotten how that felt. Actually, it was more like he forgot what guilt felt like when he didn't ignore it. He should've left Mike at the office. He hadn't even wanted to come to this stupid thing anyway.

"You know, I still laugh when I think about the first day I met you." Harvey muttered, gazing straight ahead of him. What was he doing? Trying to make small talk? What for? Maybe it was for the kid. Or maybe it was for him. He couldn't tell. Mike didn't seem to mind. He just glanced at his mentor amid his busy work, a spark of interest in his desperate, blue eyes.

"I mean, all that pot falling out of the briefcase like that…" Harvey laughed weakly. "Seriously, your face was the funniest thing I had seen in months." Mike chuckled softly as he balled up some of the white fabric, pressing it harshly against Harvey's injury. Harvey cried out at the sudden rage of nerves, squeezing his eyes closed as a wave of dizziness and nausea swept over him. Mike looked at him worriedly, but he didn't say anything.

"Why did you risk hiring me anyway?" Mike asked, winding a ragged, white strip around his mentor's middle. Harvey sucked air in through his teeth, looking for answers in his surroundings as he shoved the pain to the back of his mind. Why had he hired Mike? He knew; he just didn't want to admit it.

"Well, I hate hunting for associates." Harvey sighed. "And you were probably more capable than any of the douchebags waiting." Harvey turned his stare to his associate.

Mike smiled weakly, obviously hoping for something more than that. Harvey wanted to resist his fuzzy, soft side, but it was just as stubborn as he was. Besides, the kid looked so pathetic, his shoulders slumped in anxiety and his large eyes filled with fear. He waited in silence for a few minutes, just watching Mike with a mild respect. Okay, so maybe it was something more than that. Maybe it was with fondness, sprung from a friendship that had snuck up on Harvey. If Harvey was being brave, he would even think of himself as Mike's unrelated older brother. He worried about the kid after all.

"To be honest," he muttered, wincing as Mike roughly tied the final knot. "you reminded me of myself once. And if you were anything like I was…then you needed a chance."

Mike gazed at Harvey like the very secret of life had been revealed to him.

"Mike, you're a good kid. You're a_ smart_ kid. I only push you because you're in law now. Learning to push back is all part of the trade and so is respect."

Harvey took a deep, shaky breath, his voice getting weaker by the moment.

"But I mean what I said when I told you that you're an extension of myself. If you become a lawyer, you better be a damn good one. Better than me if you have to." Harvey looked at Mike, steady and cool despite the dangerously dull glint in his eye. Mike blinked heavily, overcome by the situation. It wasn't fair to spring that kind of stuff on him when he was already on the edge of emotional turmoil. Stress and heartfelt words were not the right ingredients for manly composure.

"And, Mike?"

Mike shifted his gaze to Harvey's.

"I _do_ care."

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_Author's Note: I actually kind of liked that ending to the chapter...Well, I hope it was a good read. Please review if you can spare one. :)_


	4. The Red Lion's Den

**_Disclaimer: I don't own Suits._**

_Author's Note: Hm. This chapter took a bit longer to get out than the others, but I hope it's worth it. I've developed a slight cough and I've lost my voice a little bit. My parents watch Rizzoli & Isles and tell me I sound a bit like Rizzoli right now. I'm actually kind of flattered. If I'm going to have a sick voice, I'd prefer it to sound like hers. Anyway, here's the next chapter. There's some lovely Donna in this one, and I hope it's entertaining. Go forth and read, and please enjoy._

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**4. The Red Lion's Den**

The two had been silent for a few minutes. Mike was busy worrying over his mentor, constantly glancing at the bloody mess of an injury while he checked Harvey for more wounds. He wanted to get a better look at Harvey's back, but he didn't want to cause any more pain by making him lean forward. Harvey was absolutely gray and motionless, his eyes half open and worn. He couldn't look tough anymore. No matter how hard he tried.

"Once." Harvey croaked, startling Mike as the sound seemed to echo around the ruins.

"What?"

Harvey swallowed, his eyes nearly empty as he stared off into nothing.

"How many times I've been shot. Once."

Mike's eyes widened, suddenly recalling their earlier conversation about bulletproof vests. Sure, he had joked around a little, but he didn't actually think Harvey had been shot.

"It was only a graze, but Donna still counts it." he mumbled, smirking weakly at the thought.

"You were actually _shot_?" Mike said incredulously, trying to imagine the scene. Harvey probably stared at the guy with a bored expression. If anything, that irritated the gunman even more.

"It was just some disgruntled businessman. He lost a lot of money…or, just about all of it. Obviously, he thought somebody had to pay." Harvey whispered. "But nobody died, so it wasn't that big of a deal."

Mike pushed a smirk onto his face, attempting to ignore the absence of power in Harvey's voice.

"That depends on how you define 'a big deal'." Mike murmured, grabbing his suit jacket and laying it over his mentor with a serious expression. Harvey was starting to drift off, looking almost small and powerless as he slumped against the broken wall. Mike had been silently praying for somebody, anybody—including Louis—to find them and help. He didn't know what else to do and his fears were growing in size and strength.

"I'm tired, Mike." Harvey sighed softly, the light in his gaze dwindling rapidly.

"I know you're tired, but you have to stay awake." Mike replied quickly. He was frantic. Harvey couldn't leave him alone like this. Not here, not now. Mike couldn't deal with this by himself.

"I'm…trying." Harvey whispered. His eyelashes were touching now, the small sliver between his eyelids slim and blank.

"Harvey, you can't fall asleep now." Mike explained, panic weaving through the words with a crushing hold. Harvey didn't hear anything. His eyes were closed, his presence slowly drifting from the hallway. Only a spec remained with his body, deep within his chest as his shallow breaths kept his lungs alive.

"Harvey?" Mike croaked, his heart pumping wildly in his chest. His blood felt like ice water, painfully cold as his heart attempted to beat against the freezing liquid. "Harvey, can you hear me?"

Harvey didn't even flinch.

Mike's voice was suddenly lost, completely ravaged by the silent chaos of the moment. The blood pumped in his ears, cutting him off from reality as he could only focus on the situation in front of him.

He was watching a man die. He was watching _Harvey_ die.

Harvey never trained him for this.

As the horror settled into his bones, his hearing came back with a pop, bringing the heavy silence with it. He was alone with Harvey. It was just him and his mentor.

A faint noise cut through the quiet, a low hum amid dust and ruins. Mike focused on listening, putting all his effort into his hearing. He didn't know if it was good or bad, suddenly torn between fear and hope. Another soft buzz wafted through the air. It was more defined, the monotone blur of noise beginning to take shape as Mike listened. For some reason, it was comforting. His heart slowed, soothed by the mysterious sound. Mike waited. The noise came again.

It was a shout.

"Is there anyone here!" the voice called, faint and muffled. Mike's heart stopped in his chest, suddenly anxious.

"Here! We're over here!" he yelled frantically. His voice sounded strained and torn, breaking angrily. His breath came in gasps from the excitement, creating a dizzying effect from the overuse of his lungs.

He shouted again, scraping his voice to a raw, unrefined noise. Mike was getting desperate, glancing at Harvey with wide, blue eyes. He wasn't going to give up. This was his chance to get Harvey out of there alive. Still, his lungs kept working too quickly, hardly allowing for any new oxygen.

"We're here!" he yelled, his voice quieter, too overcome by his wheezes. The world was spinning, causing Mike's head to wobble and worsen the headache he'd been ignoring. Black spots danced across his vision, and the floor suddenly seemed much closer than it had before.

Before Mike knew it, he had blacked out.

* * *

Everything was dark. Peaceful. Quiet. Mostly unconscious.

That was before his face connected with the hardest slap to ever exist.

Mike jolted awake, lying on the crisp sheets of a hospital bed.

"I tried waiting patiently for you to wake up."

He turned his head to the left, his body buzzing with the shock of the smack. Donna sat next to the bed, looking at him with an unpleasant expression. Her lips were pursed and her eyes held a look of irritation, angrily framed by her red hair. Mike blinked rapidly, trying to collect himself after the shattering blow. He was still in his dirty undershirt and slacks, merely lain over the sheets without the usual hospital hullabaloo.

"…What?" Mike squeaked. He was puzzled, to say the least.

"You hyperventilated and passed out." she explained curtly. "I told them to just throw you on a spare bed and I'd take care of you." Mike raised his eyebrows, slowly coming back to his senses.

"Can you do that?"

"Mike. Mike, Mike, Mike… What _can't_ I do?" she sighed, smiling a false sweet smile. Mike went quiet, looking thoughtful as he nodded to himself with his head still on the pillow. He couldn't argue with that.

Without warning, he shot up, his back as stiff as a board.

"Harvey. How's Harvey?" he asked suddenly, looking terrified and almost a little guilty. Donna tilted her head to the side, that unpleasant look back on her face.

"Why do you think I woke you up?" she asked rhetorically. "I'm not going to sit here by myself if I could have perfectly good company. Well, _mostly_ good company."

"Is he okay?" Mike inquired. She couldn't help but sympathize with the poor kid. He looked absolutely petrified and so horribly pale. She vaguely wondered what happened in the rubble.

"He's in surgery." she said simply. She couldn't mess around. Not while she was looking at that face. "They'll let us know when they have answers." Mike stared at his dusty slacks, trying to process the information. It wasn't enough. The mere lack of data scared him. Right now, Harvey was nothing. He wasn't good or bad, he was simply nothing.

It was absolutely terrifying not to know.

"They didn't say anything? Not even a few words on his condition?" he whispered pathetically. Donna glanced at the floor with that professional look on her face. That gesture alone horrified Mike. She might as well be sobbing her eyes out.

"You know as well as I do that they won't give us false hope." she muttered, business-like but obviously upset. She was about to add how terrible Harvey looked when she _did_ see him, but she had a feeling Mike knew already.

She watched the kid carefully, unsurprised as Mike attempted to scrub the shell-shocked look from his face. Harvey said he wanted another him. Another Harvey. She thought that would be impossible. And, yet, here the mysterious clone was. He just had a few kinks to work out, one being his inability to hold back _feelings_. Or just completely ignore them. She knew he'd learn all that in time.

From a distance, Harvey and Mike couldn't seem more different. But, up close, they had all the same parts, they just worked a little differently. One thing they shared seemed to be a hopeless attachment to the people they truly cared about. Sure, Mike wore his heart on his sleeve and Harvey always forgot to bring his heart, but the two of them still clung to the people they held the closest.

Honestly, Harvey needed Donna anyway. He would be a complete mess without her.

"What if Harvey dies?" Mike croaked, his blue eyes wide. Donna could almost see his thoughts running at super speed. But she didn't feel inclined to answer his question. It was better not to think about it. So, she stayed silent. Until curiosity got the best of her.

"What happened, Mike?" she said quietly, but crisply. As the final word left her, she cringed internally. She decided she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to know. But now the ball was rolling.

"It was…"

Mike swallowed, looking like he had just been buried under an invisible ton of gravel.

"It was a bomb." he mumbled. He rubbed at his eyes restlessly, his body succumbing to the fidgets of nervousness. Donna couldn't help but notice.

"The last I remember is Harvey walking towards me with that…nonchalant voice of his telling me there was a bomb. Next thing I know, Harvey is leaning over me and asking me about how my head feels."

Mike went silent. Donna found it unsettling.

"I didn't even know there was something wrong." Mike whispered. He turned his eyes to Donna, the blue saucers full of guilt and regret. "He kept telling me to keep going; to get out. I guess I kind of noticed that he was pale and all, but we had just survived through a bomb… Anyway, all I did was trip and Harvey grabbed the back of my collar to catch me."

That silence was back again, buzzing in Donna's ears like a bee. She tried not to fidget. Maybe if she sat still long enough, it would go away.

"But, he didn't let go right away. And then I knew that something was wrong. I've never seen Harvey like that before. He could barely move he was in so much pain."

Donna pursed her lips together, getting more and more upset by Mike's tale. Much like Harvey, she wasn't too fond of expressing any kind of emotion. But this was too much, even for her wall of steel. She didn't like having a tough match with emotions. It was unnerving and irritating. Yes, Harvey and she had an odd relationship. They understood each other. And as much as she hated to say it—as would Harvey—they cared about each other. But Mike had grown on Donna too. She didn't like thinking about her two boys suffering in a pile of rubble. Yes, they were _her_ boys.

"I tried to help him, you know? And then I realized…he had protected me. Then I just felt terrible for not noticing anything." Mike sighed. Donna smirked. Harvey would. Then deny it later. "I tried to stop the bleeding, but by then it was already bad…and then he just…passed out."

The room was quiet, only disturbed by a quiet sniffle from Mike. Donna watched him with stern eyes, developing a sudden urge to pull him into a hug. She tried to resist it. Harvey certainly wouldn't approve. Although, considering the circumstances, he might allow an exception. It was Harvey's fault after all.

She stood from her chair, realizing what she must do. She wasn't really adverse to the idea, just vexed by the possible repercussions. Mike might make a big deal out it, but she decided she didn't care. She had to do this.

Silently, she wrapped her arms around the associate, holding him in a warm embrace.

"Mike, none of this is your fault." she mumbled, oddly embarrassed. He leaned into the hug, desperate for comfort. Donna suddenly had the desire to kill whoever built the bomb. It would be a long, unbearable and torturous death. They must pay.

Nobody does this to _her_ boys.

She released her hold, a small thought drifting through her about how thin Mike was. She hoped it was all the biking.

"Thanks, Donna. I needed that." Mike croaked weakly, glancing up at her bashfully.

Yes, she would kill. No one would ever find the body.

* * *

_Author's Note: She's not really going to kill anybody, but I really like Donna's character. She's surprisingly complicated. Anyway, I hope it was a good read. Thanks for reading and please review. :)_


	5. The Clock Keeps Ticking

**Disclaimer: I don't own suits.**

_Author's Note: Phew, another chapter. This one was kind of hard to write, but I pushed through anyway. Since there's only a season of suits, I haven't quite grappled onto the characters and their personalities. They barely got into the deeper portion of the characters in the final episodes of the season...so I'm trying my best. Anyway, I've been fighting the evils of illness. I was tempted to write a sick!Harvey fic just because I felt like crap and I wanted to dump my misery into writing. I don't mind a good cough or two, but an onslaught? Well, that's just irritating. This fic is winding down, but it's not done yet. Maybe one more chapter. I hope this update is enjoyable. :) Please review._

* * *

**5. The Clock Keeps Ticking**

His body felt like it weighed a million pounds. Every muscle was solid and stiff, feeling almost rusted to the point of immobility. It was uncomfortable. And a little frustrating.

"I still don't see why you had to slap me."

He knew that voice. But the face was oddly murky in his thoughts.

"I needed you awake. You expect me to worry all by myself?"

Another voice. This one had red hair and a stare to kill.

"Well, no, but you didn't have to _slap_ me."

Mike.

"Next time you decide to hyperventilate and pass out, remember my stinging high-five to your face. It'll help you calm down."

Donna.

"That doesn't even make sense. Wouldn't that just make me more panicked?"

"No. Because my wisdom doth not lie. You should be thanking me; I cured you of any future hyperventilation problems."

Harvey slid his eyes open, peering through the slits at the two and their shenanigans.

"I guess we'll see." Mike grumbled. Donna smiled with an empty cheer, obviously pleased by her silent victory.

"Who hyperventilated…?" Harvey rasped, wincing against the gravel in his throat. He wanted to say something wittier—perhaps even quote a movie—but his thoughts were sluggish, still warming up after an unexpected shutdown. Mike and Donna looked toward Harvey, the secretary looking completely unsurprised while the associate gaped with a neutral astonishment. Harvey wasn't sure how to take either of them.

"Mike did." Donna answered bluntly, quickly drawing herself to Harvey's bedside. Her movement was fluid, as if undaunted by the fact they were in a hospital. Mike mimicked her path, but walked with bouncy and jerky movements.

"You're awake." Mike mumbled, a trace of a smile coming to his lips. This concerned Harvey. His associate seemed almost stunned by his consciousness.

"Don't get too excited. We wouldn't want you to hyperventilate." Donna said clearly, her voice articulate and mocking. Mike hardly heard, too amazed by Harvey's ability to open his eyes. Harvey began to wonder just how bad he looked.

"Donna?" he croaked, looking at the redhead with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, Harvey." she replied. He stared at her for a moment, realizing it was all an act. Her face was brushed with nonchalance, focused on being a picture of perfect composure. But her eyes were dull with worry and sleeplessness. He must've looked bad.

He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. Harvey wanted to ask what happened and all that, but looking at their faces now, he lost his voice. He knew there had been a bomb and he knew he had been injured. Sure, details were a little fuzzy, but he knew the gist. Now he was looking at two of the most important people in his life, and he was more worried about them than himself. They looked like they'd been through the wringer.

Harvey could tell that Donna had given Mike at least one hug. If not two. Or maybe three. That fact in and of itself was a serious confession to their wellbeing. Even if that wasn't enough, Donna looked like she was thinking up torture plans again, which spoke clearly of the situation. They were worried about him. Maybe even terrified. Harvey was suddenly scared to ask what happened.

So he didn't say anything.

"You passed out from blood loss." Donna said, her eyes almost accusing. She always knew what he was thinking. He supposed this time was no different from any other. She was intent on answering his unsaid question. "They found you just in time. You were in surgery for a few hours and you've been unconscious for two and a half days." She paused, her expression becoming fiercer, but worried. "And if you ever do that to me again, I will use whatever witchcraft I must to resurrect you so I can kill you myself." Harvey watched her for a moment, trying to think of which way to lead the conversation. He decided he feared the serious road. He tried for another.

"I always knew you were a witch." he muttered with a lopsided smile. She narrowed her eyes, her lips pursing ever so slightly. Harvey tried to sink further into his pillow, hoping the mediocre, white fluff would protect him.

"Hey, Mike was stuck in there with me." Harvey defended. "Why isn't he getting the Catastrophe Donna Treatment?" He glanced at Mike, searching for an ally against the fiercest, most manipulating woman alive. Without help, she would swallow him whole.

"We went through this already." Mike mumbled, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards. The kid looked like hell. He couldn't even smile right. Still, Harvey could tell he had been beaten in this battle. Only Donna would have the pleasure of such a victory.

"Alright," he sighed, trying to sit up a little from his already slightly elevated hill of pillows. He winced, pain pulling in his side. "I'm sorry, Donna. Next time I'll set up a proper appointment with bodily harm and make sure you know about it twelve hours beforehand."

Donna stared at him, her eyes wide with intimidation. As usual.

"Seventy-two hours." she replied, looking very serious. Harvey chuckled weakly, shaking his head.

"Twenty-four." he croaked. "And that's my final offer."

Donna seemed to be contemplating.

"Fine. Twenty-four hours." she agreed.

Silence took over the room, heavy and gaining another pound with every second. Only the constant beat of the heart monitor kept the soundless atmosphere from reaching a suffocating level. Harvey pretended to be unfazed by the quiet, but he couldn't be more terrified. It wasn't an empty silence. Nor was it a comfortable silence. At least, it wasn't comfortable for him. It was stuffed with unsaid emotion, wrapping around his heart with an angry squeeze of guilt.

Donna had been scared.

Mike had been terrified.

Donna thought she'd lose him.

Mike thought he'd lost him.

No one had to say anything. It was all in the silence. Harvey could pick out every word from the quiet; every emotion floated through the air in neon colors.

Donna hated that she wasn't there with them.

Mike hated himself for not noticing.

Donna was trying hard not to cry.

Mike was trying hard not to think about it.

Harvey really hated the silence. It seemed to ravage people without any effort. The silence was a scalding heat that left people to stew in their own emotions and plagues. Harvey was no exception. He felt guilty for hiding his injury from Mike. He _nearly_ felt guilty for getting injured at all. But Donna had that effect on people. Harvey realized he had to say something to both of them. He had to talk to them.

"Well, I need to use the little girls' room." Donna said suddenly, quickly standing from her chair. Harvey knew it was a lie. She wanted him to talk to Mike. One on one. Harvey couldn't deny that it had to be done.

"You boys play nice." she added, snatching her purse and stalking out of the room with her usual air of confidence and man-eating abilities. She was a human shark, fully equipped with trickery and wit. That's why she and Harvey got along so well.

Mike and Harvey were left in her wake, quiet without a clue of what to say.

Mike decided to talk first. Harvey felt relieved.

"She was worried about you, you know." Mike whispered, looking at his mentor with those puppy eyes of his. The big blue orbs were filled with innocence and fragile emotions. Harvey sighed and kept himself from fidgeting.

"She hugged you, didn't she?" he inquired, his voice low and suspicious. Mike looked almost puzzled.

"Yeah, so?"

Harvey looked at Mike.

"You didn't tell her what happened, did you?"

Mike furrowed his brow, trying to understand what Harvey was thinking.

"Was I not supposed to? She asked, so I told her."

Harvey turned his head to look at the heart monitor. It was weird to watch his own heartbeat bounce on a single line.

"Did she see me at all? Before I went into surgery?"

Mike swallowed. If he didn't know better, Harvey almost sounded worried.

"She was at the scene when they pulled us out."

Harvey was quiet, his gaze moved to the linoleum floor.

"Did I look bad?"

Mike didn't answer right away. Harvey winced internally at the reaction, realizing that Mike was probably trying to forget the image. The silence itself told Harvey the answer. But Mike seemed intent on replying.

"You looked…bad. You looked really bad."

Harvey took a deep breath, blinking to chase away the sudden exhaustion. The situation was really starting to rear its ugly head. While he had been passed out, blissfully unaware to the world and the pain, Mike and Donna had been stuck in the world of consciousness, upset and painfully hopeful. Donna was trying to recover from the idea of even having to lose Harvey. But Mike was trying to battle the emotions spawned from being trapped together.

"Mike, it's not your fault." Harvey mumbled, looking at his associate with a serious expression. Mike locked eyes with Harvey, putting everything he had into the gaze. Harvey could tell the kid was trying not to look away. "It was just some bad luck."

Mike looked more upset than before.

"Then why did you hide it from me?" he hissed. He was frustrated, confused, baffled. He couldn't understand why things had to happen the way they did. Harvey's guilt churned, cold and icy in his gut.

"I didn't want you to panic." Harvey replied, his voice oddly quiet and submissive. "When I told you about the bomb, you froze. My goal was to get you out of there, and I didn't think it would help anything if you panicked." Mike looked like he was standing under a rain cloud. It didn't exactly make him feel better to know he was a liability.

"So you thought it'd be better to keep going until you collapsed?" Mike whispered, almost inaudibly. He looked heartbroken. Harvey could tell he just wanted answers.

"I didn't think I'd collapse that early in the game, kid." Harvey croaked. Sure, it hadn't been his most brilliant plan, but it seemed right for the situation. "All I was thinking about was getting you out."

Mike was quiet. Harvey wasn't good at this comforting thing. He was good at faking it when he needed to, but Harvey didn't know how to be sincere. At that moment, he wanted to be.

"Mike." Harvey sighed, mustering up his emotions. He didn't like having to pull real emotion. But Mike needed it. Honestly, so did Harvey. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm sorry we were in that mess. I really am." Mike looked up at him, his eyes sucking in Harvey's words like a sponge. Harvey didn't realize how desperately the kid needed to talk. But Harvey didn't know what to say.

"I thought you were going to die." Mike whispered, his gaze dull as it bore into Harvey's own. Harvey suppressed a shudder. "You threw yourself over me and I couldn't do anything. I thought you were going to die."

Harvey was speechless. He'd never thought of himself dying. To be honest, he wasn't even that afraid of death. He simply couldn't imagine his life ending. It was almost out of place in his thoughts, crumpled in between invincibility and a fantastic, victorious law career.

"Between the two of us, I didn't think it'd be you lying there." Mike mumbled. Harvey looked down at the sterilized, cheap blankets, smirking to himself. Mike really thought his mentor was invincible.

"I thought we decided I was the next batman, not superman." Harvey muttered, stepping carefully into dangerous grounds. Hopefully, Mike wouldn't take it the wrong way. "He's still mortal, you know."

Mike smiled. Bingo.

"And for what it's worth," Harvey sighed, coughing nervously. "I wasn't going to let you take my place." The statement floated through the room with a heavy weight, soaked completely with truth and honesty.

Mike fidgeted in his seat, glancing up at his mentor every now and then. Without another word from Harvey, Mike understood. Harvey didn't try to protect him because he was weaker or because he thought he'd panic. It was because it was the first thing that came to mind. Harvey's first thought was to protect Mike. His first thought was to make sure he was safe. Harvey didn't throw himself over Mike because he thought he had some kind of responsibility.

It was because Harvey cared.

Mike couldn't explain how the revelation made him feel. He knew it would take some time, some thinking and maybe a little more talking, but somehow he just knew it was going to be okay. Somehow he knew things would go back to normal and Harvey would never let him sink. Harvey would never let him drift into his own misery. Of course, it wouldn't exactly be the same between them, but life would go on in a similar fashion. The clockwork had shifted a little, but the clock still ticked.

"I like you, kid. I'd hate to lose you. Batman's got to have a Robin, you know." Harvey said nonchalantly, snuggling into his bedding with a slight wince.

"I am not going to be Robin."

"Too late." Harvey sighed, closing his eyes with a smile on his face.

Mike opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again.

Harvey was back. That's all that mattered.

* * *

_Author's Note: I hope it was a lovely chapter. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review. Let me know how I'm doing, because I might write another fic for the Suits fandom. I haven't really decided yet._


	6. What's Unspoken Speaks More

**_Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Suits. No copyright infringement was intended._**

_Author's Note: Well...this is it, folks. This is the final chapter. I know it's rather short, but I wrote this much and then the writing part of my brain said, "hey, this is a good place to end." I agreed and we at some chocolate together. So I hope you guys enjoy this last, tiny bit. Go forth and read._

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**6. What's Unspoken Speaks More**

When Donna came back, the two boys were chuckling at some unknown joke. Harvey was settled into his bed, his eyes closed but a soft grin on his face. He was tired, but she could tell he wasn't willing to fall asleep. Donna couldn't help but smile; Harvey had one of those soft, gooey insides. Despite what he said, he liked _some _people. One person being Mike.

"You should have seen the look on Louis's face. I had to fight not to laugh." Mike chuckled, the words slipping through a smile. Harvey replied with a laugh of his own, a soft grin on his lips.

"I wish there had been footage." Harvey snickered, his eyes still closed as his chest shook with each laughing syllable. "Well done, Robin. Well done."

Mike schooled his features into seriousness, but Donna could see it was all in jest.

"I am not Robin." he said in a low tone. Harvey opened his eyes at this, peeking over at his associate.

"We both know you are." he replied, a charming smile on his face. There was a short silence, rippling with humorous tension. Mike broke after four seconds, a grin splattering across his face. Donna could swear she felt something warm and fuzzy in her soul.

But she supposed it was just a rat infestation.

"Okay, times up, Robin." she announced, walking further into the room. Mike looked up at her, almost offended.

"I am not—!"

"Oh, come on, hun." she replied sweetly, looking at him with that fake hospitality expression. "We all know it's true. You even try to dress like him."

"I styled my hair like his _once_. I was only trying to look professional!"

"Well, if you're going for professional, get rid of the skinny ties." Harvey butt in.

"I happen to like the skinny ties." Mike grumbled. "And that's not about being professional, you just don't like my skinny ties." Harvey looked astounded.

"There's a difference?"

Mike cocked his head to the side, glaring with a fake smile.

"Well, anyway, I came in here to force you out." Donna explained, pointedly looking at Mike. It took a moment before he realized she was staring at him, her eyes practically growling with demand.

"Oh, okay." he said nervously, standing from his seat at Harvey's bedside. Donna beamed at his obedience, the air of powerful manipulation fogging up the room.

"The nurses have set a room aside for us to nap in. I suggest you use it." she encouraged, nodding her head towards the nurse's station. Mike practically stumbled from the room, taken by surprise at Donna's abrupt request.

"I…guess I'll see you guys later." he mumbled, glancing at Harvey who tried to look very casual about the situation. But Mike could swear he saw a glimmer of terror in his mentor's eyes. Donna wanted a moment alone with him? That can't be safe. For anybody. Still, he forced his eyes forward and marched on, leaving a great comrade behind with the beast.

"How are you feeling?" Donna asked, although it sounded more like a command than a question. She gracefully sat down in the chair Mike had just vacated, gazing at Harvey expectedly.

"I'm…doing okay." Harvey replied happily. He wanted to say that he felt tired, stiff and kind of in pain, but he had a feeling she would react poorly. Besides, compared to how he was a couple days ago, he was doing swimmingly. So, it wasn't exactly a lie and she seemed pleased by the response. If staring blankly could be counted as pleased. At least she wasn't scowling.

"You scared me."

Harvey couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Her voice was as strong as it ever was, but, even under the cover of strength and power, he could hear the hurt and the worry.

"I know." he muttered, an apology in his tone. He didn't really need her to explain herself. With just one look he knew. She always seemed to read him better, but he wasn't completely incapable. Her expressions spoke to him, just like they did now. She had been terrified. She'd been lost. She didn't like seeing Mike that way. Donna didn't have to speak. Harvey just knew. In the same way, Donna knew.

He was sorry. He couldn't leave Mike. He couldn't stop himself from protecting the kid. And without saying anything, she told him it was okay. That it would've killed her to see them both that way. She had just been scared. It wasn't his fault.

In a brief moment of silence, they spoke. Without any words, they spoke. They said what they had to say and moved on. Everything was okay now. They talked. It was all okay.

Harvey was alive. Mike was alive. No reason to dwell.

"Jessica was worried about you too." Donna sighed, the silent conversation fading into a finish. Harvey already missed it, but they'd have it again. The next time Mike screwed up. Or the next time he'd have to fix an old case. They'd have a talk again, just like they did now and all the times before. Just like they would when the next problem arose. This wasn't the first, nor was it the last. They'd talk again.

"Yeah, well, she's got to keep up appearances." he mumbled, the corners of his mouth turning up. "For the firm." Donna raised an eyebrow. She knew he was just trying to make it all lighter. He didn't like it when people hovered over him and worried about him. He just wanted to be Harvey Specter, the best closer in the city. It was easier for him to deny that anyone cared, because he could just as easily deny that _he _didn't care. Apparently, he had his own appearances to keep. But Donna suspected it was really because he didn't like being the cause of grief. He certainly didn't like the heavy atmosphere generated by misery. He didn't know how to make it go away. Harvey could deal with anger, stubbornness and confusion, but he didn't know how to deal with grief. And so he doubted that anyone cared so he wouldn't have to comfort them. Because he didn't really know how. Not like Mike did. Of course, Donna was different. Oddly enough, Mike was different. Harvey couldn't seem to leave them to wallow in worry and anguish.

Donna thought the gesture was good enough. Because even that held proof that Harvey had a heart. That he cared about them.

But if she was asked, she'd deny it. Completely.

"Well, I called her and told her you were fine." Donna reported, keeping her face smooth as a smile threatened to peek through. "Mostly because I was tired of her calling me. I didn't even answer Louis's calls. I just ignored them."

Harvey smirked.

"Did I ever tell you that you're the best?" he asked, looking charming as usual. Flattery, she supposed. But it certainly worked.

Donna smiled.

"All the time."

* * *

_**The End.**_

* * *

_Author's Note: All done. I certainly like Harvey and Donna's relationship. Yes, they may make a marvelous couple (I'm not usually the type to pair people up, I've never been into romance stories for whatever reason), but their relationship now is just...marvelous-er. If they can manage a relationship that is just like the one they have now plus a little extra, then fine. I will approve. Anyway, please review. I hope you enjoyed the story. I have decided to stick around in the Suits fandom for a little while. I think I will take small vacations to others, but Suits seems rather...homey. So, I will stay. Sick!Harvey is next on the list, as I'm still getting over this cold and I say, what the hey. It'll be fun. So long, for now...until the next story. :) I will also remind you to review. Because I kind of spent a bit of time on this story and I'd like to know what you think. Thanks!_


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